Whitmer signs equal pay rules for male and female state workers

Lansing (via The Detroit News)— A set of rules signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday aims to provide equal pay for male and female state workers doing the same work.

State hiring directors cannot inquire into an applicant’s salary history under the executive directive signed by the week-old Democratic governor.

“It’s pretty simple: Women deserve equal pay for equal work,” said Whitmer in a statement, noting that women in Michigan generally make 78 cents for every dollar men get for the same job.

That unequal pay for equal work damages not just women, but families, Whitmer said in the statement announcing the directive.

Under the new rules, unless an applicant voluntarily provides his or her salary history, a state department or agency may not pursue information related to the individual's wage history until after making a conditional offer of employment.

The directive also asks the Civil Service Commission to promulgate new rules or instructions necessary to support equal pay protections.

Education on the new rules and supervision of them will be left to departments' equity and inclusion officers, who will report to Whitmer’s chief compliance officer any complaints regarding the directive.